Blades: Taking Cash Was Easy

College football report - Miami

FORT LAUDERDALE — Former University of Miami safety Bennie Blades, who says he received between $30,000 and $40,000 from a Fort Lauderdale-based agent between the 1986 and '87 seasons, believes he was justified in taking money.

''Here's the thing about most of the guys who are playing college football,'' said Blades, now with Detroit. ''They don't have money. They need money.''

The other thing, Blades said, is that UM is a private school with many financially well-to-do students. ''A lot of kids are rich at Miami,'' Blades said. ''They are students, but they are driving BMWs and even Jaguars. You see that, and you realize you are busting your butt practicing to play a game that makes millions.''

Blades said he felt justified because of the circumstances the NCAA places upon college athletes who make millions of dollars for their schools. Players get no stipends and limited meal money. Plus, there are rules against holding jobs during the school year. Blades said people shouldn't blame players for violating NCAA rules and accepting money under the circumstances.

''I think if somebody offers you something, you should take it,'' Blades said.

Blades said Friday that a former Fort Lauderdale-based agent made thousands of dollars in cash payments to six starters on the 1987 national championship team, including himself, with the understanding those players would sign contracts with him after the season.

Blades said Mel Levine arranged for Bennie, his brother, Brian, receivers Michael Irvin and Brett Perriman and safeties Darrell Fullington and Selwyn Brown to receive payments. All signed with Levine.

Blades said they all received payments throughout the '87 season. But, he said that he and his brother Brian's association with Levine actually began just before the 1986 season. It was at that time, Bennie says, that Levine arranged for each of them to receive $2,000 to use as down payments for the purchase of Toyota MR-2s, one black and one red.

Levine has denied breaking NCAA rules, saying instead that he ''operated in a gray area.'' He also has denied being involved in or knowing about the purchase of the Toyota MR-2s.

It was in August 1986 that Levine became involved in ''Autogate,'' a UM investigation into why three football players were driving cars leased by their relatives from companies owned by Levine, a sports agent. Jerome Brown, Alonzo Highsmith and Cleveland Gary were cleared of any wrongdoing. A fourth player, former linebacker Winston Moss, was suspended for one game for driving a car leased by a UM instructor.

Blades said he and brother Brian did not lease their cars from Levine. Instead, he said Levine told them to purchase the cars in their parents' names. He said Levine arranged this during the ''Autogate'' investigation.

''That's ludicrous,'' Levine said. ''That would have been stupid. They were driving those cars before I met them.''

Levine pleaded guilty in federal court last month to 12 counts of bank and tax fraud, charges unrelated to his dealings with UM players. He faces a two- to four-year prison sentence based on federal guidelines.

Jimmy Johnson, coach of the Cowboys, was UM's coach during the 1986 and '87 seasons.

''Mel Levine is somebody that absolutely had no affiliation with the University of Miami athletic program,'' Johnson said in a statement. ''Beyond that, I really do not have any comment.''